Opinion: Travelers are right to steer clear of Florida | CNN

Governor DeSantis’s policies targeting the LGBTQ community, restricting academic freedom, and banning diversity programs have negatively impacted Florida’s economy. Several organizations have canceled conventions and events in Orlando due to concerns over DeSantis’s “anti-woke” agenda, resulting in an estimated $20 million loss in revenue for the state. Despite this, DeSantis’s spokesperson dismissed the economic impact as a “media-driven stunt.” However, boycotts in the past have caused enough economic pain to lead to policy changes, so organizations avoiding Florida are doing the right thing by not spending money there while these policies remain in place.

Szymon,

So regarding going broke, this was a result of… checks clipboard going woke, right?

AresUII,
AresUII avatar

Texas Education Agency furiously scribbling "DESANTIS WOKE" into textbooks

marx2k,

So here’s the thing. Yes, dude is terrible for Florida. But voters love the guy, so really it’s everyone getting what they deserve?

teft,
@teft@startrek.website avatar

I don’t understand how people who profess to love powerful, intelligent alpha men have fallen for a 5’ 6” heel wearing manlette that speaks like Kermit and a grown man that wears makeup and speaks like he had a stroke. Make it make sense.

Candelestine,

Intelligent is where it goes wrong. They only claim to like intelligence, because that sounds good to claim. They’re actually extremely anti-intellectual in basically every way you can be. Real jocks vs nerds stuff, for people who never outgrew a HS mentality.

ConsciousCode,

Reminds me of TERFs/FARTs saying the “science” agrees with them (ie “lies we tell to children so they understand the basics”), meanwhile every actual geneticist, doctor, etc is like “keep that word out of your lying gullet”

NattyNatty2x4,

Intelligence to a dumbass is someone agreeing with what they already think, not actual intelligence

Uniquitous,

DeSantis is poison for Florida. He’s so busy trying to prove how much he hates gays & non-whites that he doesn’t take any time to govern. But I guess that’s the standard GOP playbook these days.

NuPNuA,

The Tory party in the UK are at this point now. They’ve got little to show in terms of improving the country after 13 years of power so they’ve gone full bore into the culture war stuff.

circularfish,
@circularfish@beehaw.org avatar

Isn’t the poor track record about to catch up to them with the next general election, or is that just wishful thinking?

Frog-Brawler,
Frog-Brawler avatar

One cool thing for me (as a current FL resident) is that my cost of living has gone up so much that it’s motivated me to move to WA. I’ve been kinda lingering around Central FL for several years, not really sure where to go because everywhere else would be more expensive by comparison. Now I’ve finally found that motivation! Thanks Meatball! My homeowners insurance has gone from $900 a year to $4200, and I needed to buy a new roof to get that insurance to the tune of $10k. The old roof was only 12 years old. Insurance companies won’t cover a damn thing if your roof is > 10 years old in FL now.

If I’m going to spend all this money on living expenses I may as well do that somewhere better.

Triple_B,

You’re gonna love Washington, it’s a beautiful state!

sparkl_motion,

Agreed! Been here most of my life, in just about every corner.

I wouldn’t trade the PNW for anything.

Uniquitous,

Yeah, I’ve heard insurance is getting hard to come by in FL. Something that maybe a governor should go about trying to address, but he can’t. No time, gotta get back out there and talk tough about slitting throats and repeating “woke” as many times per minute as possible.

dhork,

The Governor even screams “woke” at the insurance companies, for raising rates, or leaving altogether. But insurance companies are about as far from woke as you get. They don’t give a shit about the latent injustice in the system. They just look at their numbers, and tweak them until they maximize their revenue vs. risk. And all the bean counters have decided that Florida is too risky.

sparkl_motion,

Is there anywhere specific in WA that you’re looking?

I’m a native and happy to provide any information that might help in deciding where to land in the state.

There’s a huge variance in economic, social, and political views. Finding the right one for your needs will go a long way in assuring you’re happy.

Oh, weather too. The East half of the state is a highlands desert with forests in areas. Lots of high and low temperatures depending on the season. West side is VERY temperate but summers can be tough due to the way the Puget Sound and Olympics can cause heat domes where air doesn’t circulate well. That’s less common though.

Frog-Brawler,
Frog-Brawler avatar

I’m a native and happy to provide any information that might help in deciding where to land in the state.

That's awesome! Thanks for the offer!

I think I've mostly ruled out the east half of the state. Olympia was what I had in mind after doing about 3 minutes worth of research. My approach to moving across the country is rather clueless.

I think the primary consideration for me is going to be cost of living, so that's likely going to rule out Seattle and the surrounding area (based on my assumptions). Maybe not though... 🤷‍♂️For context, the median household income where I currently live is ~ $60k. When I looked up Seattle, it's just shy of double that.

Politically - I find the Democratic party to be a bit too conservative for my personal preferences.

I think I'll likely be able to retain my current job (which I like) when I move, but if for some reason that goes south, I also don't want to necessarily be a small fish in the huge pond. I work in IT, and I suspect that I'd be in the older half of the "people working in IT" population.

timicin,

If I’m going to spend all this money on living expenses I may as well do that somewhere better.

i did something similar between austin, texas and chicago, illinois. now my new place is 2x the size; w lots of amenities; costs less than texas; but most importantly, my new home isn't descending into a conservative fascist hell hole while everyone just sits around and watches it happen while simultaneously ignoring the clear reasons why and how to help it. lol

Hype,

As a Floridian, please don’t come. We make most of our money off of tourism, hospitality, and healthcare services. Go somewhere else, let this state die.

HulkSmashBurgers,

www.cnn.com/2023/08/01/health/…/index.html

Central florida is now a hotbed for leprosy too.

SolNine,

I grew up here, have family here and have built a life here. It really is awful how much the state is being destroyed, so much has changed since 2016, it is unreal.

The propaganda has been incredibly effective here, and it is absolutely disheartening.

millie,

I’ve honestly stopped eating oranges entirely.

synae,
@synae@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

Yea I’m not traveling to or spending any money in any of these fascist states if I can help it

altima_neo,
@altima_neo@lemmy.zip avatar

Man I never wanna leave the west coast… Let alone go to Florida

argv_minus_one,

…said everyone ever, and now the rent is ridiculously high.

altima_neo,
@altima_neo@lemmy.zip avatar

And what the hell does woke mean anyway?

interolivary,
@interolivary@beehaw.org avatar

Something about “cultural Marxists” sapping and impurifying our precious bodily fluids

effingnerd,

Everytime I see or hear “woke” I mentally replace it with compassion/ate to get a true gauge of what the speaker really feels.

NotYourSocialWorker,

I remember the time they called it woke to learn empathy for others in school.

They truly are the “fick you, i got mine” generation.

Psythik,

It means that you’re aware of the social and racial issues that exist in America and the world. So to be anti-woke means to be willingly ignorant.

CoderKat,

Fortunately for everyone, they had to define “woke” during a court case.

DeSantis’ general counsel, Ryan Newman, responded that the term means “the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.”

So there we have it. Recognizing the flaws in the justice system is woke.

circularfish,
@circularfish@beehaw.org avatar

If they actually have that level of self-awareness, which I doubt they all do, then we should just reclaim the term. As in, “Yeah, I’m woke. Fuck you”.

NotYourSocialWorker,

For all their faults lawyers tend to speak the truth when they get into court. The risk of losing their profession is all too real.

marco,
@marco@beehaw.org avatar

That’s what it used to mean until DeSantis and his ilk intentionally abused the term to mean anything they don’t like from the left.

Remember this? forbes.com/…/anti-woke-author-who-cant-define-wok…

darthfabulous42069,

They mean left

StringTheory,

I read Ryan Newman’s definition and was all, “yup. I’m woke, baybeeeee.”

Edit: replied to the wrong post, sorry

Butterbee,
@Butterbee@beehaw.org avatar

Go fasch, no cash

CrypticFawn,

I wouldn’t go to Texas either. Fuck that noise.

Jearom, (edited )

My family wants to do our first-ever Disney trip, but we’re boycotting Florida for the foreseeable future, and it’s 100% on their government. We look *at a trip to FL like vacationing in Berlin circa 1933 right now.

CrypticFawn,

Go to Disneyland in Cali instead. It’s great.

Jearom,

Love the idea, but that’s a 6 hour flight, where FL is only 2, and I’m not ready to fly with twin Kindergarteners :)

I’ll wait.

Psythik,

Good choice. Disney World is considerably better than Disneyland, by an order of magnitude. I’ve been to both multiple times, and you can’t even compare the two. It’s worth waiting out.

GiddyGap,

Same here. Looking into Anaheim instead.

Auzy,

As an Aussie, I’d never go there…I don’t want to get shot and then someone claim they were standing their ground or whatever. As I have no problem with foreigners, lgbt people and I hate guns, why would I go?

As far as we know, it feels like I’d be stepping into kkk/nazi territory. I can go Europe instead where people are super chill

OceanSoap,

Uh, yeah, none of that is going to happen to you. Go where you want, but comparing FL to Nazi territory is so ridiculous.

Chronoshift,

@OceanSoap @Auzy
I'm concerned about the malaria and now lepercy spreading let alone the hostile environment to basic freedoms in FL.

Fish,

I don’t know man, it’s getting there. The same could be said for Texas.

ikiru,

As a Leftist, who very much looks like a Leftist, I am currently visiting Florida’s panhandle and I’m having a very great time. It’s very much like the Deep South. People are very friendly. I see plenty of people of color too. It’s not like genocide is raging and people are being hunted down en masse, not that I support DeSantis nor do I want to normalize him and I do think we are inevitably heading towards fascism in the US.

On the other hand, I did go to a restaurant and sat next to a table with a Neo-Nazi couple with swastika tattoos but we left our respective parties alone.

Auzy,

oh yeah… It’s unlikely I’ll be shot, but, more likely than anywhere else. Thing is, what does Florida offer to someone like me that lots of other places don’t offer, which don’t have the negatives?

ikiru,

I’m not trying to convince you to come to Florida. Just saying it’s not as bad for most as it may sound.

But everywhere is different and Florida is a unique place and it’s worth visiting if you get the chance. I’ve been throughout Florida and it’s beautiful. And I’ve very extensively travelled internationally so please don’t assume it’s a sheltered perspective from someone who never left the US.

millie,

Is it legal for you to use the bathroom? Because that makes a difference.

Fish,

I have no doubt that the majority of Floridians will be civil, even around leftists and LGBTQ+ people. However, much of the recent legislation in Florida has been straight-up fascist. Also, Florida is seeing an influx of radical conservatives moving there, along with a lot of left-leaning and LGBTQ+ people leaving. That’s what I mean when I say that “it’s getting there”.

ikiru,

No disagreements about any of that.

I was just adding to the chain of comments so I replied to you but I guess I was mostly addressing the Aussie’s concerns.

millie,

They’re literally imprisoning people for trying to find a place to pee. At what point are the red flags enough? Literal death camps?

Auzy, (edited )

Your governer (combined with Trump) is already following many of the tactics the Nazi’s used (banning books, using dangerous language like “woke”, etc)… This time though, its not against the Jews, it’s against Trans people. Our government warns against it: www.smartraveller.gov.au/…/united-states-america and I literally watched on Sky news, as Trump was setting things up for violence (it was SO obvious to anyone months in advance, and I literally worked it out within 5 mins of watching Sky news where it was headed… I am not a smart guy…)

And a lot of this nonsense is spilling over to Australia.

I have no interest in going somewhere like that… I can go elsewhere in the US, or Europe. I’ve got a trans friend and plenty of gay friends (but I’m totally straight myself). I probably have even more I’m not even aware of. Desantis isn’t getting a dollar from me.

What benefits does Florida have over other places? Why would I visit? I can go elsewhere without the bigotry, people carrying guns everywhere, etc.

It’s true not everyone in Florida is racist, but, if I’m on holiday, why go somewhere I’m dealing with all of that? Why go somewhere where school kids get shot? Why not go somewhere more positive

In fact ironically, I didn’t think much of Disney, until they fought back against Desantis. Now I’m happy they exist…

ArtZuron,

The nazis also targeted transfolk as well. The repugnants aren’t going to stop at trans people or liberals. They’re going to go after everyone eventually, even each other.

OceanSoap,

Lol, the Nazis targeted everyone who wasnt ethnically German and non-jewish. They targeted straight, white people because they were liberal in general. They targeted meat-eaters and pushed a vegetarian diet.

ArtZuron,

The actual socialists were also ousted about as soon as possible.

Auzy,

Yep… I actually feel scared for you guys when Trump goes to prison, or for next election.

You’re all welcome here in Australia, to see what things should be like…

OceanSoap,

Eh? I’m not in Florida, I live in Arizona. But yeah, it sounds like you should probably stay away from Florida in general, if you’re that fearful. No point it you can’t relax because you’re afraid of dangerous words like woke.

We also definitely have different views on guns in general. As a woman, I like being able to have one for protection, so I’m not worried in my day-to-day life about guns.

Lots of us have gay and trans friends.

Auzy, (edited )

The language you’re using to describe things here, is a bit deceptive.

Implying the problem is “Words like woke”? It’s not the word that’s the issue here… They’re doing stuff like banning puberty blockers and banning preferred pronouns in schools too. There’s lots of evidence of facism (and the anti-woke agenda is basically a subtle version of genocide / encouraging bigotry). They’re using the word as a mechanism to drive a bigotted agenda…

What happens when Trump finally goes to jail at the end of the year?

In florida, whilst you argue you “carry a gun for protection”, the fact that criminals (and psycho’s) can get those guns as easily just makes it more dangerous. It’s not normal… I’ve seen how druggies in particular lose their mind over small things. That’s only a good thing if there are background checks (there aren’t in florida from my understanding). A criminal is always going to have an advantage during a gunfight (as they’ll be inclined to shoot first)

Whilst you may not believe it, there is VERY strong evidence that people like Trump are literally following the fascist playbook (which includes “state media”, which he’s basically doing with “fake news” claims).

Trump’s already clearly setting you guys up for Civil war. And unless you can say honestly he’s not doing those things, no foreigner wants to go to his Base of operations. Even as an Australian, it’s very clear he’s trying to set things up to take over the justice department. He’s already trying to convince his base that the government is corrupt.

You tell me honestly, how safe is the US if Trump goes to Jail, or loses the next election? We already saw how his supporters acted last time, and he’s already stepped up the rhetoric. We don’t see regular school shootings in other countries, and nobody here carries a gun. In fact, people here need to justify a purpose for keeping the gun (and there are STRICT conditions to owning one). “Defending yourself” isn’t one of those reasons…

doom_and_gloom, (edited )
@doom_and_gloom@lemmy.ml avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    StringTheory,

    Aleksandr Dugin dancing with joy: “It worked, Vlad, it worked! It actually worked!”

    Cobrachickenwing,

    I’m sure Disney must be happy they let Ron win in 2022.

    Texas_Hangover,

    Disney decides political outcomes now?

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